When and how do I reduce baby’s milk feeds?!

[hopingforapeainapod]

My 7 month old is now having 2 meals a day but is still having 5 7oz/210ml bottles a day and shows no signs of slowing down. He’s always had a big appetite but I assumed once he started eating more he would naturally stop finishing bottles but this hasn’t been the case!

There’s so much conflicting advice online about how much they should be drinking at this stage, and I’m also confused about how to go about reducing milk intake? Do I try and gradually cut out one bottle, or reduce the volume of all his feeds? Or should I try 4 8oz bottles a day and then cut back from there? Any help much appreciated!

He is very young still. If he is showing signs of still wanting the milk I would leave him to it for now.

@Readytohealnow thanks - I’m just confused because a lot of guidance online says they should be having around 600ml of formula a day, and he is having nearly twice as much!

If he is drinking it and not throwing it back up plus eating his solids maybe he is just a hungry lad. Perhaps he was a Labrador in a past life 🤣 if he is healthy and not in any discomfort you’re doing fine.

(wait until he is a teenager he will still be eating you out of house and home)

Agree with PP, until he is showing signs of not wanting it, or starts to throw a bit up after the feed, I wouldn’t change anything. Milk is still his main source of nutrition until 12 months so don’t get too hung up on when he should drop or reduce feeds, just follow his lead.

I exclusively breastfed so can't mention amounts but at about 9 months my health visitor said to start offering solids before milk then milk intake will begin to reduce as appropriate whereas until then, it was always milk first. From recollection, I don't think I saw a massive difference straight away and it took a while for milk intake to drop.

My DS is 9 months now and it took us a while to get up to 3 meals a day. He wasn't interested in lunch for ages. When lunch became established he dropped to 4 bottles. Now that he has started to eat more at breakfast, he's rarely interested in his second bottle of the day so that will probably drop next. Keeping the 4 for the moment but have changed the 2 middle of the day ones to 5oz, keeping morning and bedtime one at 7oz for now. I'd say your DS is still a little young. I'd follow his lead for now as he won't take it if he's not hungry. When he builds on his solids he'll naturally start to reduce. It's all a bit of trial and error I think.

Get him on 3 meals a day, and just go with flow.

Same!! He's a little greedy boy, loves his food and his milk

I stopped breast feeding at 8 months, and at that point we started to do breakfast THEN milk, which improved baby's appetite for breakfast. That also naturally helped us drop a feed (baby had already dropped one breastfeed two weeks before that because of getting into eating dinner). I wouldn't worry about changing anything with bottles just yet.